By: Chaya Abecassis

Jerusalem, a city where history is inscribed in stone, is now at the center of a remarkable legal battle over two storied Anglican properties said to be worth tens of millions of shekels. According to an explosive investigation reported by Israel Hayom, Anglican associations operating in Israel have accused a former Chabad chasid who later converted to Christianity of masterminding a years-long scheme to defraud the Church and seize control of these assets through falsified contracts and forged documentation.

The claims, now before the Jerusalem District Court, center on the Anglican School at 82 Nevi’im Street, purchased in the 1840s, and the Kol Israel building on Petroska Street, acquired in the early 20th century. Together, they represent nearly two centuries of Anglican presence in Jerusalem. The associations insist these properties were never for sale and allege that fraudulent contracts suggesting otherwise are part of a sophisticated takeover plot.

The affair, according to the report at Israel Hayom, first came to light by accident just weeks ago. Officials within the Church’s Ministry among Jewish People (CMJ), the British Anglican organization overseeing its Jerusalem institutions, uncovered documents suggesting that companies linked to one Mordechai Weberman — a man once known in Chabad circles before embracing Christianity — held agreements for the purchase of both the Anglican School and the Kol Israel building.

The purported agreements valued the Anglican School at 60 million shekels and the Petroska Street building at 7.5 million shekels. Under the alleged arrangement, Weberman’s companies were to pay a down payment of 9 million shekels for the school and 1 million shekels for the Petroska property. The associations assert that these deals were never discussed, let alone approved, and that the contracts themselves were obtained through deception.

Even more troubling, the documents reportedly bore the stamp of the Vincent Society, one of the Anglican associations managing the properties. Yet, as the Israel Hayom report noted, the society has not possessed such a stamp for at least five years. To the associations, this detail strongly suggests forgery.

The central figure, Mordechai Weberman, cut an unusual profile. Born into a Chabad family and once connected to the ultra-Orthodox world, Weberman began drawing closer to the Anglican Church around 2020, culminating in his baptism as a Christian. In the years that followed, he secured employment with CMJ, immersing himself in the community’s work and gaining the trust of clergy and lay leaders alike.

As the Israel Hayom report detailed, Weberman cultivated a close relationship with Vincent Society’s CEO, Father Daryl, and floated ambitions of joining the priesthood. He offered to help with translations, volunteered his services, and became indispensable to leaders from abroad who lacked fluency in Hebrew. It was during this period, Anglican officials allege, that Weberman maneuvered himself into a position of trust — and began laying the groundwork for his plan.

The Anglican associations now describe Weberman as a “Trojan horse,” someone who presented himself as a devout and committed member of the Church community while secretly working to defraud it. They contend that documents were signed in Hebrew by officials who did not understand the language, relying entirely on Weberman’s assurances of their content.

The scale of the alleged fraud is staggering. The Anglican School, located on Nevi’im Street, is one of the oldest and most prestigious Anglican institutions in Jerusalem. Purchased in the 1840s, the school today educates around 230 students, many of them children of diplomats. The 15,000-square-meter campus has been described by Anglican officials as a property of “immeasurable value.”

The second property, the Kol Israel building on Petroska Street, has its own historical pedigree, acquired by the Church in the early 20th century. Though smaller in scope than the school, its central location makes it a valuable asset in its own right.

According to the information provided in the Israel Hayom report, both properties were allegedly listed in fraudulent contracts, effectively transferring their ownership to companies linked to Weberman and his partners.

Alarmed by the discovery, the Anglican associations moved quickly to secure the assets. They petitioned the Jerusalem District Court for temporary injunctions to block any transfer of ownership. The court granted the request in a one-sided proceeding, effectively freezing any transaction until the allegations could be fully examined.

The associations’ petition accuses Weberman and his attorney, Kobi Yifrach, of using forged documents and fraudulent powers of attorney to create the appearance of a legitimate sale process. They further allege that Weberman deliberately manipulated language barriers to trick non-Hebrew-speaking officials into signing documents they did not understand.

As the Israel Hayom report emphasized, the associations claim that the entire sale process was a fabrication, never approved by the proper Anglican institutions in Israel or abroad.

Attorney Kobi Yifrach has strongly rejected the allegations. In a statement quoted in the Israel Hayom report, Yifrach insisted: He has no personal connection to Mordechai Weberman, having met him only once during an unrelated transaction. He has never forged documents or powers of attorney. Some of the officials involved do, in fact, speak and read Hebrew. He has never presented false documentation.

“I regret that a large and respected law firm is accusing a fellow attorney of serious misconduct and launching an unrestrained attack without fully checking the facts,” Yifrach said. “I’m confident the court will rule that there was no wrongdoing in my conduct as the church’s legal representative.”

As of publication, Weberman himself has not responded publicly and has yet to submit an official reply to the court.

The allegations emerged just days after Weberman had been publicly celebrated at CMJ’s annual conference in Britain. As the report at Israel Hayom noted, the Christian newspaper Evangelicals Now had published a glowing profile of him, praising his journey from IDF chaplain to Christian convert and presenting him as a symbol of Messianic Judaism’s “fulfillment” of Jewish identity.

In his remarks to an audience of 400, Weberman declared: “I stand before you not as someone who left Judaism, but as someone who found its fulfillment.” Days later, Anglican officials in Jerusalem uncovered what they now believe was a fraudulent attempt to strip their community of its most valuable properties.

The affair has rattled the Anglican community, which has maintained a presence in Jerusalem since the early 19th century. CMJ, the parent organization at the center of the scandal, was founded in 1809 and has operated in Jerusalem for nearly two centuries. Its institutions, including schools and churches, have played a significant role in shaping the city’s diverse religious fabric.

For Anglican leaders, the idea that their trust may have been exploited so systematically is a bitter blow. Beyond the immediate financial stakes — tens of millions of shekels in property value — the episode threatens the credibility and stability of their operations in Israel.

As the Israel Hayom report observed, Anglican leaders have now vowed to file a formal police complaint and pursue every legal avenue to protect their assets.

Legal experts consulted by Israel Hayom suggested that the case may highlight broader vulnerabilities faced by international religious organizations operating in Israel. Many rely on expatriate leaders who do not speak Hebrew fluently, creating opportunities for exploitation by insiders.

The Anglican associations argue that this is precisely how Weberman was able to gain influence: by presenting himself as both linguistically and culturally indispensable, and by using his position to secure signatures and authorizations that others did not fully understand.

The injunctions granted by the Jerusalem District Court have provided temporary relief, ensuring that the properties cannot be transferred until the matter is resolved. But the long-term legal battle promises to be complex. The court will need to determine the authenticity of the contracts, the validity of the signatures, and whether fraud or forgery was committed.

For now, the Anglican community is bracing for a protracted fight. Their legal filings accuse Weberman of “playing a double game”: presenting himself as a benefactor and believer while secretly plotting to seize their most valuable properties.

The alleged fraud surrounding the Anglican School on Nevi’im Street and the Kol Israel building on Petroska Street is more than a legal dispute; it is a drama that cuts across faith, identity, and trust. The Anglican community, present in Jerusalem for nearly 200 years, now finds itself defending its very foundations from what it describes as a sophisticated scheme of deception.

As Israel Hayom has reported, the story is still unfolding, with the courts yet to hear Weberman’s defense and the possibility of criminal investigations looming. For now, what remains is a sense of betrayal — and a stark reminder that even in a city as ancient and sacred as Jerusalem, the battles over land, faith, and power remain as fierce as ever.